Myriad Truths
by Tetsui
Summary: The final face-off against the goddess of death teaches Souji a priceless lesson. Rated T for intense emotional scenes. 4 of 10


**Myriad Truths**

**A Persona 4 Fanfiction**

**4 of 10**

All around us, red mist swirls. The area around us seemed to distort and twist every time I blinked. Before us, a great, red skeletal creature that looked like something from Hell had burst forth and challenged us to a Battle Royale. It called itself Izanami, the goddess that formed Japan with Izanagi.

My hands are covered in sweat, I feel haggard. From the looks of it, so do the others. I can see as well, from Rise's monitoring, the great creature before us, we were about to defeat Izanami, but something felt...off.

Izanami showed no sign of damage, not one cut, scratch, or bruise. But that can't be right, her health's almost gone. Oh well, let's finish up.

I summon forth Trumpeter for the last time. "Megidolaon!"

The purple light shoots forth from the heavens and strikes Izanami, the killing blow.. When it fades however, she still stands tall.

"What? That should have taken care of her!" I hear Yosuke yell next to me.

"Yeah, what gives? She should be toast by now!" Kanji yells, immediately trying to catch his breath afterwards.

Izanami then lifts up her hands. 'What is she doing?' I think.

"Senpai, look out!"

"Thousand Curses."

Before I know it, I'm being pushed out of the way by Yosuke. 'What?'

"Sorry, Partner."

Shadowy hands pull him down into a dark pit, and he's gone.

'What?'

"Yosuke-senpai!"

"Yosuke!"

'What just happened? Where'd Yosuke go?'

"Senpai! Look out!"

Kanji pushes me out of the way as well, meeting the same fate as Yosuke.

"Kanji-kun!"

'No. This isn't happening.'

"It's like she's targeting Senpai!" Rise yells.

"Well, no more!" Yukiko yells. "Agidyne!"

The fire spell hits Izanami, but her health doesn't decrease in the slightest.

"No." I hear the word slip from my lips.

"Bufudyne!" Chie and Teddie yell together. The same result.

"Thousand Curses."

This time I see it, a black pit forms underneath me.

"No!"

Chie pushes me out of the way this time.

"I'm coming, Yosuke." She says as the hands pull her into the depths.

Again, another portal opens. And again, I'm pushed out of the way. This time, Yukiko goes.

'Stop.'

"Megidolaon!" Naoto shouts.

"Bufudyne!" Teddie shouts, his throat hoarse.

Nothing happens to Izanami.

"Thousand Curses."

Teddie pushes me out of the way this time.

"Goodbye, Sensei."

The hands pull him under.

"Stop."

Another one forms. This time, Rise jumps in and pushes me away from harm.

"I love you, Senpai!"

She's pulled under with little difficulty.

"Stop it."

"Megidolaon!"

Not even the purple light appears now.

"Come on, dammit. Megidolaon!"

Nothing.

"Thousand Curses."

Another portal opens beneath me.

"Senpai!"

"No."

She runs quicker.

"No! Don't do it!"

She pushes me out of harm's way regardless.

"Don't die."

And with that, she's gone.

"No."

'All my friends...they're gone.'

"No."

'They're all dead.'

"No!"

I turn to Izanami.

"You!" I switch to Satan. "Black Viper!"

Satan's tail shoots out, but is caught by Izanami's skeletal hand.

"Thousand Curses."

And then, I'm pulled under.

Nothing surrounds me. Fog, everywhere.

'So, this is what Death's like. I hate it. I'm sorry everyone. I failed.'

Suddenly, I feel a tug on my body and I'm surrounded by everyone. All of the friends I've made since moving here.

"It's only a failure if you accept it." I hear the voice of Igor say.

'What?'

"What are doing?" I hear the familiar voice of Margaret scold me. "Get up. You are not allowed to fall here. You must know already...The true nature of bonds...What bonds give you...Here, listen closely..."

"What's the matter?" I hear my uncle say. "Isn't it too early to give up?...You taught me what family truly is. I had my hands full with just Nanako when you came rolling in...Haha, I wasn't sure what to do...But then again...I can get back up as many times as I need to with you two with me...However painful it is, I'll just grit my teeth...I'll get up as many times as I need to for you two...A father can be pretty stupid that way, huh?"

"Don't go, Partner." Yosuke. "Everything inside me changed after I met you...I'm...glad we met. I wouldn't have made it this far if I hadn't done it alongside you...You can't let it end this way, right? You can keep going...Right, Partner?"

"No!" Chie. "Don't leave me...! I'm scared...I'm such a stubborn, two-faced coward...But you understood me...That's why...I can become as strong as I need to be..."

"Hey, can you hear me?" Yukiko. "Don't close your eyes yet...I'll give you our strength...You're our last hope...Please...Get back up, just once more."

"Yo Senpai." Kanji. "How much longer are you gonna just lie there? You ain't like that, Senpai...You're not the kinda guy who can let it drop like this...That ain't the Senpai I look up to...Get back up...Just one more time...Let me protect you..."

"Senpai...Thanks..." Rise. "I'm glad I came to this town...When I think back on all the fun I had with you...Senpai...Please stand up, just one more time. We'll be your strength..."

"S-Senpai...If you stay down...I won't forgive you..." Naoto. "You...gave me a reason to stay just as I am. For someone like you to leave me in the dark halfway like this...Souji. Please, stand up, just once more...Let's fight this together...Never fear...We're always together."

"*yip*" The Shrine Fox. It sounds weak. It lays a Frisbee down by me.

"Hey...Let us worry about you for once...You don't have to shoulder the entire burden by yourself..." Kou. "Yeah, if we were to leave you like this, what kind of friends would we be?" Daisuke. "We're right there with you...A couple of morons wanting to prop you up." "C'mon...Let's walk together...We'll support _you_ this time..."

"You gotta be joking!" Ai. "Don't you care that I won't be able to take another step forward if you disappear...? I...couldn't stick by someone who'd do that to me..."

"Please don't give up..." Naoki. "I've had enough with losing the people most precious to me...I don't want to lose you too..."

"There you go again, only thinking of yourself..." Yumi. "But he isn't, he's thinking of us right now." Ayane. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Get up already, you're not _that_ good of an actor." "Ozawa-san, we should encourage him. Please, get up." "Yeah, you need to get up. It's not like you to leave things half-finished." "We'll be waiting for you..."

"Thanks, Mister." Shu. "To tell the truth, to be brave, to stand up again, to believe...You taught me all those things...You have to believe that you're not alone either, Mister...You're more than a tutor to me...You're my friend..."

"Come on, my dear...It's too early for you to sleep..." Hisano-san. "I know you must be a little tired...But there are still people waiting for you...Have you really done everything for those precious to you?"

"I'm sorry I can't be there to support you in your hour of need..." Sayoko-san. "Life...It's filled with so many things that are dirty, grotesque, and painful...There's no way you can stand it alone...But no one is truly alone in this world. You know that, since you've protected those precious to you, right? C'mon, people are waiting for you..."

"Mister..." Eri-san. "Actually, you're only a high-school boy...You must've gone through so much pain...It must've been so tough for you...But...It's wonderful to be able to protect someone who matters to you...You showed me that joy..."

"Sensei..." Teddie. "I'll protect you, Sensei. You gave me my life...You're important to me...I'm not alone anymore...And neither are you, Sensei...I'm sure together, we can do things no one could do alone..."

"Hey...Big bro...!" Nanako. "Are you going to leave me behind...? I'll be a good girl...So don't go...I don't want you to go...Big bro..."

'Yes...They're right...'

I open my eyes. I see the fog, and at the same time, see through it. I see the truth now.

I feel a power unlike anything I'd ever felt before swell within me. I have finally resolved like the others.

It's time to kick some goddess' ass.

I blink, and I'm back to where I was before, standing before the hulking mass of bones that is Izanami.

"So, you've returned. No matter. Thousand Curses."

The portal opens and the hands try to to pull me down. When they touch my body however, they begin to disintegrate and pull back in fear with a hiss before they disappear.

"Impossible..." Izanami says. "How can the will of so few surpass the will of all mankind! Oho Ikanagi."

The lightning falls and hits me, but I feel no pain.

"What! Oho Ikanagi!"

The lightning simply bounces off of my now.

"Impossible! How can your powers possibly rival mine..? Oho Ikanagi!"

I simply stand there as the lightning passes through me again and again.

"No! This can not be! Why..? Why don't you understand...? It's impossible for humans to grasp the truth with their own hands..?"

"Ya know Izanagi. I really don't care about that."

I take off my glasses and throw them to the side. I need them no longer. Everything is clear to me now. A card appears in my hand.

"All I care about are the people who are precious to me"

I clench my hand and the card breaks, revealing my new Persona, Izanagi-no-Okami behind me.

"And all I know is that you harmed them!"

Izanagi begins spinning its' sword.

"Now take this. My love! My anger! And all of my sorrow!"

I stick my arm out before me.

"Myriad Truths!"

A beam shoots from Izanagi's blade, striking Izanami, making her writhe in pain.

A bright light engulfs everything, and I see clearly, for the first time in my life.

When the light fades, I can see the fog is beginning to clear.

"I see." I hear Izanami's voice say faintly, as if it's fading. "It appears you have triumphed. Very well. Well done...Children of man."

The fog is gone now, revealing a beautiful landscape before me. Now _this_ is truly the inner thoughts of the human heart.

"Hey!"

I turn and see my allies in battle, my friends, all together. I begin to run to them.

This may be my last day here, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Besides, Spring Break is only a few weeks away. I already know where I'm going.

Where my precious people are.

Now ask yourself. Who is precious to you? And do you really do enough for them?

All I can really say is...don't ever take them for granted, and live everyday like it's your last.

Fin

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the Gundam line, it just seemed perfect for the situation. Well, I hope y'all enjoyed this. And remember, the next 6 are going to be even better than this. R & R


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